General Question

What are the best RECENT foreign movies available on Netflix?

My wife is a big fan of foreign movies, especially French comedies. I like them too but want to watch recent films, say 2009 on. I would like to find out which movies have gotten the best reviews in that period and we’ll search them out on Netflix.

6 Answers

I think this might be pushing it (I think it may have come out 2008), but Oldboy, it’s a pretty good, quite brutal, korean flick. Thirst is another good one (vampire movie which I’m positive came out 2009). And for some reason, despite the many foreign flicks I’ve watched, those are the only ones I can remember aside from Bronson, Silmido, and Shiri which I’m certain are all pre-2009. Hope that helps.

Also have really been thrilled with the release of Masterpiece Theater’s Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch. It’s British, not sure where you are, or if that’s considered foreign. But it’s funny and witty and I just love the 2 actors playing Holmes and Watson. It’s a mini-series.

And another British mini-series that is being enjoyed by both men and women (usually only the females like this kind of thing) is Downton Abbey. My SO (male) is hooked on this.

Cet amour-la is a little older from 2003, but it’s the true story of Marguerite Duras (who wrote The Lover, which is also a great foreign film) and her 20-something lover that she took when she was in her 60’s.

I’m sorry I’m not able to offer any more recent foreign movies. My poor Dad doesn’t see very well, so he can’t read the subtitles, so for the last 8 years or so, we have purposely not rented subtitled movies, (although I’ve seen a few at my friend’s houses).

So I’ll just give it a go and hope you like some of these, that I enjoyed.

The Swimming Pool A French/British movie from 2003 about a female British writer who goes to France on a suposedly relaxing and solitary sabbatical to the home of her publisher (who is also her lover). His young, nubile daughter shows up un-expedtedly and things go downhill from there.

The Way Home a Korean film from 2002. A very naughty, and self-centered 7 year old Korean boy is sent to live with his elderly grandmother in the country, while his single mother looks for work in the city. You will hate this child and want to kill him in the beginning, but because of the gentle, subtle kindness of granny, the kid turns out OK and you will weep like a 7 year old child.

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter and Spring a Korean movie from 2003. A young boy is sent to live on a floating monastery/temple in the middle of a beautiful lake. He has been sent there to learn to be a monk, by the elderly monk that lives there. You see him grow up, and in the meantime, a young girl is sent to the temple, supposedly for healing purposes, because she has an illness. The young monk does indeed help her to heal, but he also falls in love with her and the couple carry on a clandestine romance that doesn’t end well, as you can imagine. The scenery was breathtaking and it was very interesting to see the young monks ongoing training, through the seasons and years.

Babette’s Feast a Danish movie from 1987. A small, rural Danish town, sometime in the 1800’s, is filled with people who seem to have no joy in their lives, mostly because joy is quite forbidden, because of their religious beliefs. The worst part is that even though they are allowed no dancing or joviality, they are also not allowed to have anything delicious to eat (not allowed!) so every single day they eat this boring gruel made from rye bread. One day, a mysterious woman shows up as a refugee from some counter revolutionary uprising going on in France. She asks to be a housekeeper for 2 elderly sisters, that have missed out on having any suitors, due to their now dead father’s protestations. So Babette, the housekeeper’s only ties to France for the next umpteen years is that a friend purchases a yearly lottery ticket for her. She does her housework, but it sad for the residents of this town, because of their lack of joy. Eventually she wins the lottery, and is expected to return to France a wealthy woman. She does leave Denmark and goes back to France. What happens next is the whole jist of this delightful movie. Babette gives her former employers and neighbors a very interesting gift. And they find out a very interesting fact about her.

The Chorus a French movie from 2004. A new teacher shows up at a harsh boy’s boarding school in 1949. The teacher has had his share of disappointments in life, but has come to the school to hopefully teach a bunch of un-ruly students that life can be different, better. And to show the principal of the school that even though you have a bunch of children that have started out very rough, you don’t have to command them with cruelty to get them to behave and thrive. Some wonderful singing as well.